So
you've got your digs stocked with the beginnings of a fab home bar. A
good selection of liquor, a collection of lovely
glassware, even a cool
cocktail shaker you managed to snag for cheap on your last thrift shop
excursion. High time, now, for you to throw a par-tay -- so you can play
with your new goodies and show off your bartending skills. Only one
potential snag in your grand party plans: what bartending skills? Relax,
we're here to help…

name your
poisonWhether you're
throwing an intimate soirée or a ragin' hootenanny, pick a mixed drink
(or two) and feature it as the evening's special. It's way easier to mix
up a big round of a single drink to pass out to all your guests than it
is to take individual orders from each and every person partying in your
pad. If anyone has any special requests, you can do your best to
accommodate them, but for the most part, I've found that folks are happy
to drink whatever fun cocktail everyone else is quaffing.

Once you've decided what
you'll be serving up for the evening, try the recipe before party time,
tweaking it as necessary to suit your taste. Contrary to what most of us
think in the early days of our liquor-consuming lives, a good drink
should not be so strong that it knocks you out for the night, nor should
it be so syrupy sweet that you can't taste the alcohol at all.
Basically, you want something that's nicely balanced in its flavors.
When you've hit upon that perfect formula, memorize it (or make a
discreet cheat sheet if you must). There's something kind of awkward
about watching a bartender fumble with a recipe in some big cocktail
book, trying to figure out exactly what to do next; since most cocktails
consist of less than a handful of ingredients, committing a recipe or
two to memory really shouldn't tax the ol' noggin too terribly. Forget
about how many ounces of this should go with how many tablespoons of
that; it's much easier to remember how to mix up your favorite cocktails
if you think in terms of ratio rather than specific quantities.